Banner making machine

ABSTRACT

A machine for applying support members to opposing sides of opposing edges of a sheet material includes a support tab applicator assembly that applies a first portion of a support tab along a longitudinal edge of a first side of the sheet material, a support tab finisher assembly that applies a second portion of the support tab disposed opposite the first portion to a second side of the sheet material disposed opposite the first side, and a hole punch assembly that cuts a hole through the sheet material. The machine also may include a strengthening film applicator assembly that applies a strengthening film along a longitudinal length of the first side of the sheet material and/or across the support tab.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No.61/955,327, filed Mar. 19, 2014, and U.S. Provisional Application No.62/066,584, filed Oct. 21, 2014, which are hereby incorporated herein byreference in their entirety.

FIELD OF INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to a machine for applying tabsupports to a sheet material, and more particularly to a machine formodifying a sheet material for being suspended as a banner.

BACKGROUND

Banners provide a means for communication by way of advertising and thelike. Banners are typically suspended, such as hung, displayed and/orstretched taut, by means of suspension members, such as rods, tubes,poles, rope, twine, string, etc., received by the banner, such as in asupport member, such as grommets and the like, so as to be easily andreadily visible.

Various methods have been used to convert a sheet material into a bannerable to be suspended. Edge portions of a sheet material have beenoverlapped and sewn, stitched or hot air welded to create a pocket forreceiving a suspension member. Grommets have been punched into the sheetmaterial or attached to the material via tape or hot air welding. Thesemethods, however, suffer drawbacks of at least one of high equipmentcost, high production time, high skill necessary for production, highlabor cost, high power requirements, large production floor footprint,low production volume and/or variable strength of the end product whensuspended.

SUMMARY OF INVENTION

A banner making machine is provided for overcoming one or more of thesedrawbacks, by fabricating banners using relatively lower labor costs,lower power requirements, and lower production time while also having amore consistent strength of the end product when suspended.

More specifically, the present disclosure provides a machine forapplying support members to opposing sides of opposing edges of a sheetmaterial. The machine includes a support tab applicator assembly thatapplies a first portion of a support tab along a longitudinal edge of afirst side of the sheet material, a support tab finisher assembly thatapplies a second portion of the support tab, which is preferablydisposed opposite the first portion, to a second side of the sheetmaterial, which is preferably disposed opposite the first side, and ahole punch assembly that cuts a hole through at least the sheetmaterial. The machine may also include a strengthening film applicatorassembly that applies a strengthening film along a longitudinal lengthof the first side of the sheet material and/or across the support tab.

The resulting modified sheet material includes support tabs spaced apartalong oppositely disposed longitudinal edges wherein the support tabshave a first portion applied to a first side of the sheet material and asecond portion disposed opposite the first portion applied to a secondside of the sheet material disposed opposite the first side, and holesextending through the sheet material and the support tabs wherein theholes extend from the first side to the second side. The resultingmodified sheet material may also include a strengthening film appliedalong the oppositely disposed longitudinal edges, wherein thestrengthening film may be applied across the support tabs, and whereinthe holes may extend through the strengthening film.

In other embodiments, affixation of the tabs to the banner may beeffected by grommets instead of strengthening film, or by a combinationof strengthening film and grommets. In still other embodiments, tabs maybe omitted and one or more of strengthening film or grommets may beused.

According to one aspect of the disclosure, a machine for applyingsupport tabs to a sheet material includes a support tab applicatorassembly that engages a first side of a sheet material along alongitudinal length of the sheet material to apply a first portion of asupport tab thereto, the support tab being configured to receive asuspension member. The machine further includes a support tab finisherassembly that engages a second side of the sheet material along thelongitudinal length to apply a second portion of the support tab theretoopposite the first portion of the support tab, and a hole punch assemblythat cuts a hole through the sheet material, the hole for receiving thesuspension member.

The machine may further include a strengthening film applicator assemblythat engages the sheet material and/or the support tab to apply astrengthening film along the longitudinal length of the sheet materialand/or across the support tab.

The machine may further include a first support tab applicator assembly,first support tab finisher assembly, and first hole punch assemblyconfigured for modifying a first longitudinal edge portion of the sheetmaterial, and a second support tab applicator assembly, second supporttab finisher assembly, and second hole punch assembly configured formodifying a second longitudinal edge portion of the sheet materialdisposed opposite the first longitudinal edge portion.

The machine may further include a support table that supports the sheetmaterial during tab application, the support table including a tableedge for supporting a longitudinal edge portion of the sheet material,and the table edge having extending therethrough a gap for exposingoppositely disposed areas on the first and second sides of the sheetmaterial, thereby allowing the support tab to be applied to theoppositely disposed areas.

The machine may further include a controller configured to recognize alongitudinal location of the support tab along the longitudinal lengthof the sheet material.

The machine may further include a sheet material advancing assemblyincluding a grasping portion that grasps a longitudinal edge portion ofthe longitudinal length of the sheet material, and a channel along whichthe grasping portion moves to advance the sheet material along themachine.

The support tab applicator assembly may include a selectivelyretractable support tab dispenser that dispenses a support tab andadvances the support tab towards the first side of the sheet material.

The support tab finisher assembly may include a first actuator thatpushes the second portion of the support tab into a nonplanar positionrelative to the sheet material, and a second actuator that pushes thesecond portion of the support tab from the nonplanar position to a finalposition applied to the second side of the sheet material where thefirst portion is arranged substantially parallel the second portion inthe final position.

The strengthening film applicator assembly may include oppositelydisposed members that engage the strengthening film prior to applicationof the film to the sheet material and that disengage the strengtheningfilm during application of the film to the sheet material.

The machine may have a sheet plane aligned through the sheet material, abisecting plane aligned orthogonal to the sheet plane and bisecting thelongitudinal length of the sheet material, and transverse plane alignedorthogonal to each of the sheet plane and the bisecting plane, andwherein the machine includes a severing mechanism for severing a lengthof strengthening film, the blade being disposed in a blade plane alignedat an acute angle to each of the sheet plane and the bisecting plane andaligned orthogonal to the transverse plane.

The machine may further include a support table to support the sheetmaterial during application of the support tabs, and a retractablepressure support to support a portion of the second side of the sheetmaterial disposed opposite a portion of the first side of the sheetmaterial to which the support tab applicator assembly applies the firstportion of the support tab, and wherein the pressure support isconfigured to retract, disengaging it from the second side of the sheetmaterial upon application of the second portion of the support tab tothe second side of the sheet material.

The support tab applicator assembly may include a roll mechanism thatreceives a roll of support tabs.

The roll mechanism may include a roll of support tabs wound about acenter axis.

The hole punch assembly may be configured to apply a grommet to thesheet material, wherein the application of the grommet causes a hole tobe punched through the sheet material.

According to another aspect of the disclosure, a machine for applyingtab supports to a sheet material includes a support tab dispenser thatdispenses support tabs and a support tab application actuator thatapplies the support tabs to a first side of the sheet material. Themachine further includes an actuator assembly disposed downstream of thesupport tab dispenser and support tab application actuator to apply eachrespective support tab to a second side of the sheet material disposedopposite the first side, wherein the actuator assembly includes a firstactuator that pushes the second portion of each respective support tabinto a nonplanar position relative to the sheet material. A secondactuator pushes the second portion of the support tab from the nonplanarposition to a position applied to the second side of the sheet materialwhere the first portion is arranged substantially parallel the secondportion. A hole punch disposed downstream of the actuator assemblypunches a hole through a portion of the sheet material enclosed by eachrespective support tab, thereby creating holes for receiving suspensionmembers for suspending the sheet material.

The machine may further include a strengthening film dispenser thatapplies a strengthening film along the sheet material and across aselection of the support tabs, wherein the strengthening film dispenseris disposed downstream of the actuator assembly.

The strengthening film dispenser may be disposed upstream of the holepunch.

The support tab dispenser, support tab application actuator, actuatorassembly, and hole punch may be disposed along a first side of themachine and are configured to modify a first longitudinal edge portionof the sheet material, wherein the machine further includes a secondsupport tab dispenser, second support tab application actuator, secondactuator assembly, and second hole punch disposed along a second side ofthe machine disposed opposite the first side and are configured tomodify a second longitudinal edge portion of the sheet material disposedopposite the first longitudinal edge portion.

The machine may further include a grasping portion that grasps the sheetmaterial, and a channel along which the grasping portion translatesalong a direction parallel to the longitudinal length of the sheetmaterial, wherein the grasping portion moves between the support tabdispenser and the hole punch.

According to yet another aspect of the application, a method of applyingsupport tabs to a sheet material includes the steps of actuating anactuator to apply first portions of support tabs to a first side of thesheet material along a longitudinal length of the sheet material, eachsupport tab for receiving a suspension member. The method also includesactuating a second actuator to fold a second portion of each respectivesupport tab under the sheet material and applying the second portion ofeach respective support tab to a second side of the sheet materialdisposed opposite the first side.

The method further includes actuating a punch to cut holes through aportion of the sheet material disposed between respective first andsecond portions of the support tabs, the holes for receiving suspensionmembers for suspending the sheet material.

The method may further include the step of applying a strengthening filmalong the sheet material and across a selection of the support tabs.

The applying a strengthening film along the sheet material and across aselection of the support tabs may occur simultaneously with actuating anactuator to apply first portions of support tabs to a first side of thesheet material along a longitudinal length of the sheet material.

The actuating an actuator to apply first portions of the support tabs toa first side of the sheet material may occur simultaneously at twooppositely disposed longitudinal edge portions of the sheet material.

According to still another aspect of the application, a machine forapplying strengthening materials to a sheet material includes astrengthening film applicator assembly that engages the sheet materialto apply a strengthening film along the longitudinal length of the sheetmaterial and/or across the support tab, wherein the strengthening filmapplicator assembly includes oppositely disposed members that engage thestrengthening film prior to application of the film to the sheetmaterial and that disengage the strengthening film during application ofthe film to the sheet material and a hole punch assembly that punches ahole through the sheet material and the strengthening film to createholes for receiving suspension members for suspending the sheetmaterial.

The machine may have a sheet plane aligned through the sheet material, abisecting plane aligned orthogonal to the sheet plane and bisecting thelongitudinal length of the sheet material, and transverse plane alignedorthogonal to each of the sheet plane and the bisecting plane, and themachine may include a severing mechanism for severing a length ofstrengthening film, the blade being disposed in a blade plane aligned atan acute angle to each of the sheet plane and the bisecting plane andaligned orthogonal to the transverse plane.

The strengthening film applicator assembly may be disposed upstream ofthe hole punch.

The machine may further include a support tab applicator assembly thatdispenses support tabs and that applies the support tabs to a side ofthe sheet material wo which the strengthening film applicator assemblyapplies the strengthening film.

The foregoing and other features of the invention are hereinafter fullydescribed and particularly pointed out in the claims, the followingdescription and the annexed drawings setting forth in detail one or moreillustrative embodiments of the invention. These embodiments, however,are but a few of the various ways in which the principles of theinvention can be employed. Other objects, advantages and features of theinvention will become apparent from the following detailed descriptionof the invention when considered in conjunction with the drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a rear oblique view of an exemplary banner making machineprovided in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a top view of the exemplary banner making machine of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a rear view of the exemplary banner making machine of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a side view of the exemplary banner making machine of FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 is a front oblique view of the exemplary banner making machine ofFIG. 1.

FIG. 6 is a bottom view of the exemplary banner making machine of FIG.1.

FIG. 7 is an oblique view of a pull assembly of the exemplary bannermaking machine of FIG. 1.

FIG. 8 is a front oblique view of a support tab applicator assembly ofthe exemplary banner making machine of FIG. 1

FIG. 9 is a rear oblique view of the support tab applicator assembly ofFIG. 8.

FIG. 10 is a front view of the support tab applicator assembly of FIG.8.

FIG. 11 is a side view of the support tab applicator assembly of FIG. 8.

FIG. 12 is a top view of the support tab applicator assembly of FIG. 8.

FIG. 13 is a partial top view of a sheet material showing a firstportion of a support tab applied to the sheet material by the supporttab applicator assembly of FIG. 8.

FIG. 14 is a front oblique view of a support tab finisher assembly ofthe exemplary banner making machine of FIG. 1.

FIG. 15 is a rear oblique view of the support tab finisher assembly ofFIG. 14.

FIG. 16 is a side view of the support tab finisher assembly of FIG. 14.

FIG. 17 is a front view of the support tab finisher assembly of FIG. 14.

FIG. 18 is a top view of the support tab finisher assembly of FIG. 14.

FIG. 19 is a partial front oblique view of the support tab finisherassembly of FIG. 14.

FIG. 20 is another partial front oblique view of the support tabfinisher assembly of FIG. 14.

FIG. 21 is a top view of a sheet material showing first and secondportions of support tabs applied to the sheet material by a support tabapplicator assembly and a support tab finisher assembly of the exemplarybanner making machine of FIG. 1.

FIG. 22 is a side oblique view of a strengthening film applicatorassembly of the exemplary banner making machine of FIG. 1.

FIG. 23 is another side view of the strengthening film applicatorassembly of FIG. 22.

FIG. 24 is a front view of the strengthening film applicator assembly ofFIG. 22.

FIG. 25 is a side view of the strengthening film applicator assembly ofFIG. 22.

FIG. 26 is a top view of the strengthening film applicator assembly ofFIG. 22.

FIG. 27 is an oblique view of a drive assembly of the exemplary bannermaking machine of FIG. 1.

FIG. 28a is a partial oblique view of the strengthening film applicatorassembly of FIG. 22 showing the assembly prior to loading ofstrengthening film to the application roller.

FIG. 28b is a partial oblique view of the strengthening film applicatorassembly of FIG. 22 showing the assembly after loading of strengtheningfilm to the application roller.

FIG. 28c is another partial oblique view of the strengthening filmapplicator assembly of FIG. 22 showing the assembly after loading ofstrengthening film to the application roller.

FIG. 28d is a partial oblique view of the strengthening film applicatorassembly of FIG. 22 showing the applying tape to a sheet material andprior to cutting of the strengthening film.

FIG. 28e is a partial oblique view of the strengthening film applicatorassembly of FIG. 22 showing the assembly after cutting of thestrengthening film.

FIG. 29 is a top view of a sheet material showing first and secondportions of support tabs applied to the sheet material by a support tabapplicator assembly and a support tab finisher assembly, and showingstrengthening film applied by a strengthening film applicator assemblyof the exemplary banner making machine of FIG. 1.

FIG. 30 is a side oblique view of a hole punch assembly of the exemplarybanner making machine of FIG. 1.

FIG. 31 is another side oblique view of the hole punch assembly of FIG.30.

FIG. 32 is a side view of the hole punch assembly of FIG. 30.

FIG. 33 is a rear view of the hole punch assembly of FIG. 30.

FIG. 34 is a top view of the hole punch assembly of FIG. 30.

FIG. 35 is a top view of a sheet material showing first and secondportions of support tabs applied to the sheet material by a support tabapplicator assembly and a support tab finisher assembly, showingstrengthening film applied by a strengthening film applicator assembly,and showing holes cut through the sheet material by a hole punchassembly of the exemplary banner making machine of FIG. 1.

FIG. 36 is a schematic view of another exemplary banner making machineprovided in accordance with the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The present invention generally provides a banner making machine andassociated method for applying support tabs to a sheet material. Themachine is easy to load, requires minimal power, requires minimal labor,adjusts for fabricating various sized banners, and is configured toproduce numerous banners per minute.

The banner making machine is configured to fabricate a modified sheetmaterial including support tabs spaced apart along oppositely disposedlongitudinal edges wherein the support tabs have a first portion appliedto a first side of the sheet material and a second portion disposedopposite the first portion applied to a second side of the sheetmaterial disposed opposite the first side, and holes extending throughthe sheet material and the support tabs wherein the holes extend fromthe first side to the second side. The holes are provided to receivesuspension members for use in suspending the banner.

The banner making machine may additionally or alternatively beconfigured to fabricate a modified sheet material including astrengthening film applied at least along the oppositely disposedlongitudinal edges. The strengthening film may be applied across thesupport tabs or, in other embodiments, across the sheet material wheresupport tabs are omitted. Holes punched by the banner making machine mayextend through the strengthening film in any of the embodiments.

In still further embodiments, the banner making machine may additionallyor alternatively be configured to fabricate a modified sheet materialincluding grommets punched through any combination of the sheetmaterial, support tabs, and strengthening film.

While the machine may be used to fabricate banners, the machine is notlimited only to the fabrication of banners. The machine also may be usedfor applying support tabs, strengthening film, and/or grommets to anysuitable sheet material, such as canvas, plastic, fabric, etc. Otherapplications include fabrication of any product for being suspended,including for being displayed, hung and/or stretched taut and mayinclude tarpaulins, curtains, hanging barriers, etc.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, and initially to FIG. 1, anexemplary banner making machine 20 is provided for modifying a sheetmaterial 22 (also shown separately in FIGS. 13, 21, 29 and 35). Themachine 20 is configured to apply support tabs to the sheet material 22to form a modified sheet material final product. In the depictedembodiment, the final product is a banner, though the final product maybe any other modified sheet material that has been modified for beingsuspended.

The sheet material 22 may be provided as discrete lengths into themachine 20. In other embodiments, the sheet material 22 may be providedas one or more rolls or as one or more stacks of fan-folded sheetmaterial 22 to be cut into discrete lengths.

The illustrated banner making machine 20 is configured to move the sheetmaterial 22 along a longitudinal work length 24 of the machine 20. Thelongitudinal work length 24 extends from a front end 26 to a rear end 28of the machine 20. Along the work length 24, the machine 20 completes,and preferably automatically completes, one or more steps. These stepsare completed along a longitudinal length 30 of the sheet material 22,as the sheet material 22 passes through the machine 20 with thematerial's longitudinal length 30 aligned substantially parallel withthe machine's longitudinal work length 24.

The first step completed along the longitudinal length 30 of the sheetmaterial is (a) the application of the support tabs. In a preferredembodiment, the support tabs are applied along longitudinally-extendingfree edges 32 of the sheet material 22, to oppositely disposed top andbottom sides of the sheet material 22. In other embodiments, the supporttabs may only be applied to one of the top side or the bottom side ofthe sheet material 22.

The illustrated support tabs (see, e.g., FIG. 13) are made of plastic,such as polycarbonate, polyvinyl, low density polyethylene, high densitypolyethylene, woven polyethylene, polypropylene, polyester film, etc. Inother embodiments, the support tabs may be made of any suitable materialsuch as fabric, mesh material, ribbed material, Kevlar, metal, canvas,high-strength tag board, etc.

As further described below, the support tabs may include adhesivedisposed against a support tab backing material. The adhesive may enablea relatively strong attachment between the support tabs and the bannersheet material 22, and may be resistant to aging and to the elements,such as temperature extremes, rapid temperature changes, moisture,freezing, etc.

In addition to applying support tabs, some embodiments of the machine 20are configured for (b) application of a strengthening film. Thestrengthening film is applied over the sheet material, and also may beapplied over the support tabs, to strengthen the attachment of thesupport tabs to the sheet material and/or to strengthen the sheetmaterial. The machine 20 may be configured to apply strengthening filmover only a selection of the support tabs, or alternatively over each ofthe support tabs.

The illustrated strengthening film (see, e.g., FIG. 28) is a plastictape, preferably having high tensile strength and high tear strength. Apreferred embodiment of the strengthening film also has an adhesivethat, along with a backing material against which the adhesive isdisposed, is substantially resistant to aging and to the elements, suchas temperature extremes, rapid temperature changes, moisture, freezing,etc. Other embodiments of the machine 20 may be configured to applyother suitable strengthening films having different combinations ofsuitable properties.

In some embodiments of the machine 20, including the illustratedembodiment, the machine 20 may be configured for completing a step of(c) punching of holes through at least the sheet material 22. The holesare provided for receiving suspension members, such as rods, tubes,poles, rope, twine, string, etc. for suspending the final bannerproduct.

Holes may be punched through one or both of the support tabs and thestrengthening film. While the depicted support tabs have a holeextending from a first side to an oppositely disposed second side, othersupport tabs may not have holes, and thus the machine 20 may beconfigured to punch holes through multiple materials to finalize themodified sheet material.

It will be appreciated that the steps of (a) applying support tabs, (b)applying strengthening film, and (c) punching holes may be completed inany suitable order. For example, strengthening film may be applied priorto application of support tabs, or the strengthening film may be appliedbut the support tab application may be omitted. Thus it will also beappreciated that one or more of the steps (a)-(c) may be omitted. Othersteps may be included, additionally or alternatively, such as grommetpunching, etc., and the other steps may be used in combination with anyselection of the steps (a)-(c).

A modified sheet material final product (see, e.g. FIG. 35) created bythe completion of a selection of the many steps may be relativelystronger than sheet materials modified by other methods such as usingsewing or heat welding. The combination of the sheet material, supporttabs and strengthening film may provide areas of relatively largetensile and tear strength as compared to the remainder of the finalproduct, for resisting external forces acting on the final product whilesuspended. The external forces may include tension in the materialcaused by the suspension itself and other forces such as wind.

Additionally, a final product including the strengthening film mayprovide greater strength than a final product not including thestrengthening film. This is because use of the strengthening film mayspread forces applied to the final product over the area of the film,rather than merely spreading the forces over the area of the supporttabs.

The banner making machine 20 is configured to fabricate the modifiedsheet material final products relatively quickly, thus providing arelatively low production time per banner and as a result, a relativelyhigh production volume. By including automated assemblies for one ormore of (a) application of the support tabs, (b) application of thestrengthening film, and (c) punching of the holes, the machine 20 mayenable fabrication of multiple banners per minute, such as 1 to 10banners per minutes, more preferably 1 to 5 banners per minute, and evenmore preferably 2 banners per minutes, for example. Thus the machine 20may enable fabrication of 200 banners per hour, for example, whichpreferably may amount to greater than 1000 banners in an eight hourshift. Use of automated assemblies also enables the use of a singleoperator and the skill level of the operator may be relatively lowerthan that required for other conventional methods, such as sewing or hotair weld operations. In this way, the machine 20 may allow forrelatively low labor cost.

The banner making machine 20 also provides the benefit of a relativelysmall footprint as compared to other methods, such as sewing operations.The banner making machine 20 includes a fabrication frame 40 havingadjustable support legs 42 supporting a fabrication table 44. Numerousautomated assemblies, also herein referred to as modules, are coupled tothe fabrication table 44 for modifying a sheet material, such as thesheet material 22. The frame 40 may be relatively small, such as thesize of a conventional desk, thus taking up minimal production floorspace, and making the machine 20 easily movable about the productionfloor. Alternatively, the machine 20 may be of any suitable size formodifying a sheet material 22.

The illustrated frame 40 is adjustable to accommodate sheet materials ofvarious widths within the frame dimensions. The various widths of thesheet materials being modified by the machine 20 may be about 12 inchesto 60 inches wide, and more preferably 18 inches to 48 inches wide.

In other embodiments, the frame 40 may include modular portions that areseparable from one another to enable modification of sheet materialshaving larger dimensions, such as a sheet material having a width ofabout 5 foot to 50 foot, or more preferably about 10 foot.

The illustrated automated assemblies attached to the frame 40 of thebanner making machine 20 include a support tab applicator assembly 50that initiates application of support tabs to the sheet material 22, asupport tab finisher assembly 52 that finishes application of thesupport tabs to the sheet material 22, and a hole punch assembly 54 thatcuts holes through at least the sheet material 22 for receivingsuspension members for suspending the modified sheet material finalproduct. The illustrated machine 20 also includes a strengthening filmapplicator assembly 60 for applying the strengthening film to one orboth of the sheet material 22 and the support tabs. The automatedassemblies are coupled to the table 44 via clamping arms of theautomated assemblies, though other suitable coupling components may beutilized.

A first set of automated assemblies—a support tab applicator assembly50, a support tab finisher assembly 52, a hole punch assembly 54, and astrengthening film applicator assembly 60—are disposed side-by-sidealong a first side of the table 44 extending between the front end 26and rear end 28 of the machine 20. A second set of automated assembliesis disposed opposite the first set along a second side of the machine20, which is disposed opposite the first side of the machine 20. Eachassembly of the first set is disposed opposite the same respectiveassembly of the second set, though other embodiments may include otherarrangements.

The first set of assemblies acts on a first longitudinal edge of thesheet material 22, once it is loaded into the machine 20. The second setof assemblies acts on a second longitudinal edge of the sheet material22, which is disposed opposite the first longitudinal edge.

In the illustrated embodiment, the assemblies are arranged in aparticular order between the front end 26 and the rear end 28. The orderis configured such that the banner making machine 20 first appliessupport tabs to the sheet material 22, then applies strengthening film,and then punches holes. Accordingly, the support tab applicator assembly50 is disposed adjacent the front end 26, with the support tab finisherassembly 52 disposed downstream of the support tab applicator assembly50. The strengthening film applicator assembly 60 is disposed downstreamof the support tab finisher assembly 52, with the hole punch assembly 54being disposed downstream of the support tab finisher assembly 52 andadjacent the rear end 28.

Alternatively, the automated assemblies may be arranged in any suitableorder along the work length 24. For example, the strengthening filmapplicator assembly 60 may be disposed upstream of the support tabfinisher assembly 52, instead of downstream of the support tab finisherassembly 52. In other embodiments, multiples of one or more of theautomated assemblies may be included arranged along the first and or thesecond sides of the machine 20.

Referring now in greater depth to FIG. 1, and also to associated FIGS. 2to 6, the banner making machine 20 will be further described. Themachine 20 is configured to continuously fabricate the modified finalproduct, once the sheet material 22 is loaded into the machine 20. Thesheet material 22 may be loaded into a sheet material advancing assembly70, to be discussed further. The advancing assembly 70 is configured formoving the sheet material 22 along the work length 24, in the downstreamdirection, between the front end 26 and rear end 28.

For example, once the table 44 is adjusted to the appropriate width forreceiving the sheet material 22, the operator may simply position thesheet material 22 at the front end 26 of the machine 20 to begin thefabrication process. In such case, the illustrated machine 20 includes acontroller 72 that senses that the sheet material 22 is in place andbegins to fabricate the modified final product. Alternatively, themachine 20 may not automatically begin fabrication, and an operator maybegin fabrication through use of the machine operator interface 73.

In the illustrated embodiment, the controller 72 is communicativelyconnected to each of the automated assemblies of the machine 20. Thecontroller may be located at any suitable location of the machine 20.Further, the controller 72 may be configured to enable automatedadvancement of the sheet material 22 along the work length 24, such asby automatically operating the advancing assembly 70, or semi-manualadvancement of the sheet material 22, such as by controlling theadvancing assembly 70 via the machine operator interface 73.

Turning to FIG. 7, but also shown in each of FIGS. 1, 2, 5 and 6, theadvancing assembly 70 is illustrated separate from the machine 20. Theadvancing assembly 70 may be coupled to the table 44. As herein used,coupling may include direct or indirect coupling between two components.The advancing assembly 70 includes a grasping portion 74 that grasps alateral edge of the sheet material 22 disposed between the oppositelydisposed longitudinal edges of the sheet material. The grasping portion74 translates along a channel portion 76, which is coupled to the table44, such as by fasteners, such as screws, bolts, etc. The graspingportion 74 translates between the front and rear ends 26 and 28, andthus between the support tab applicator assembly 50 and the hole punchassembly 54. As shown, the channel portion 76 is coupled to an undersideof the table 44, while the grasping portion 74 extends through slots 78(FIG. 6) in the table 44 to reach the sheet material 22.

To move the sheet material 22 from the front end 26 to the rear end 28,the grasping portion is translated along the channel portion 76, whichextends substantially parallelly to the working length 24 of the machine20. The sheet material 22 is also moved via the drive assembly 80 (FIGS.5 and 6), which functions in cooperation with the strengthening filmapplicator assembly 60, discussed below.

Turning to FIGS. 8 to 13, after use of the advancing assembly 70, thebanner making machine's fabrication process begins with the applicationof support tabs 82 simultaneously along both longitudinal edges of thesheet material 22 via the support tab applicator assembly 50. It will beappreciated that the controller 72 may be configured to skip applicationof one of a pair of support tabs 82, or even both of a pair of supporttabs.

The support tab applicator assembly 50 for applying the support tabs 82is shown separate from the frame 40. The support tab applicator assembly50 is coupled to the table 44 and engages a first side of the sheetmaterial 22 along a longitudinal length of the sheet material 22 toapply a first portion of support tabs thereto.

As herein used, engaging may include direct, contiguous contact orindirect engagement without direct contact. Note that the first side ofthe sheet material 22 is a side disposed opposite the table 44. Thesecond side is disposed opposite the first side and faces, such as beingin contact with, the table 44.

Once the advancing assembly 70 moves the sheet material to a location ofa support tab 82 application, the support tab applicator assembly 50 isconfigured to apply a first portion of support tabs 82 to the first sideof the sheet material 22. The support tab applicator assembly 50 is alsoconfigured to simultaneously leave a second portion of the support tabs82 suspended from the sheet material 22 for application to the secondside of the sheet material 22 by the support tab finisher assembly 54.

As shown, the support tabs 82 include oppositely disposed first andsecond portions 84 and 86 (FIG. 13), connected by a transition portion88 (FIG. 13). The transition portion 88 may be flexible to allow thefirst portion 84 to be applied to the first side of the sheet material22 and the second portion 86 to be applied to the second side of thesheet material 22. While the first and second portions 84 and 86 areshown as being equally sized with identical shapes, the two portions maybe of any suitable shape and size in other embodiments. A bottom side ofthe support tabs 82 facing the sheet material may include an adhesivefor assisting in engagement of the support tabs 82 with the sheetmaterial 22.

The illustrated support tabs 82 also include holes, which after themachine 20 punches corresponding holes through the sheet material 22,may receive respective suspension members for suspending and/orstabilizing the modified sheet material. In other embodiments, thesupport tabs 82 may not initially include holes and/or the suspensionmembers may be hung from the transition portion.

In other embodiments where the machine 20 is configured only to applysupport tabs 82 to one side of the sheet material 22, the support tabs82 may include only one of the portions 84 and 86, for example. In suchcase, the support tabs may be configured without a transition portion,and may be of any suitable shape.

The first support tabs 82 may be applied at the leading corners of thesheet material 22, adjacent the leading corners, or at any suitabledistance from the leading corners. Additional support tabs 82 aretypically subsequently applied at uniform distances along thelongitudinal edges of the sheet material 22. Though, the machine 20 isconfigured to apply spaced apart support tabs 82 via any uniform ornon-uniform spacing. A pair of support tabs 82 may also be applied atthe trailing corners, adjacent the trailer corners, or at any suitabledistance from the trailing corners of the sheet material 22.

The number and spacing of the support tabs 82 may be calculatedautomatically using appropriate software stored in a computer readablemedium accessed by a processor or other suitable hardware of the machine20, such as of the controller 72. Any suitable number of support tabs 82may be used, and for example, the number and spacing of support tabs 82may be based on the length of the sheet material 22, which may beentered into the operator interface 73 of the machine 20 prior tocommencing fabrication.

The length of the sheet material 22 is communicated to the controller 72for appropriately controlling the automated assemblies. For example, thesoftware is read by a processor, and preferably a processor of thecontroller 72, contains a number of preset sheet material sizetemplates. The software also controls the timing of the numerousapplication steps of the machine 20, such as based upon pneumaticpressures and airflow speeds to desired tolerance levels, to accuratelycontrol timing and performance of the automated assemblies.

Turning again to the support tab applicator assembly 50, included is asupply portion 90 having a supply of support tabs 82 for application tothe sheet material 22. The supply portion may include a feedingmechanism for receiving discrete length strips of support tabs, singlesupport tabs, support tabs supplied on a roll, etc.

The illustrated supply portion 90 is depicted as a roll mechanism, suchas a support arm, supporting a roll of individually die cut support tabs82 adhesively attached to a backing material and wound about a centeraxis, and preferably wound about a center core. The roll is fed througha support tab dispenser, such as a tab dispensing cartridge portion 92,for separating the tabs 82 from the backing material. The tab dispensingcartridge portion 92 is selectively retractable for advancing thesupport tabs 82 towards the first side of the sheet material 22.

To engage the first side of the sheet material 22, the dispensingcartridge portion 92 is moved, such as by a cartridge actuator 94, overthe longitudinal edge of the sheet material 22. As the cartridge portion92 approaches the longitudinal edge, a first portion 84 of a support tab82 is pushed outwardly from the cartridge portion 92 while the backingmaterial is simultaneously removed, leaving the adhesive surface of thesupport tab 82 exposed and ready to make contact with the first side ofthe sheet material 22. The backing material and the first portion 84 ofthe support tab 82 may be pushed from the cartridge portion 92 by thecartridge actuator 94 moving the cartridge portion 92, or by anotheractuator working in conjunction with the cartridge actuator 94.

It will be appreciated that any actuator of the machine 20 may be of anysuitable type, such as a linear, pneumatic, hydraulic, electric,mechanical, electro-mechanical, screw-type, or rod and cylinder typeactuator.

A support tab application actuator 96, such as an air-driven cylinder,is coupled to the cartridge portion 92, such as by a support arm 98. Thetab actuator 96 moves the first portion 84 of the tab 82 extending fromthe cartridge portion 92. Upon actuation, the application actuator 96extends, engaging the first portion 84 of the support tab 82, andpressing the adhesive side of the first portion 84 onto the first sideof the sheet material 22, at a pre-determined location, which may bedesignated by the controller 72. Retraction of the cartridge portion 92,such as via the cartridge actuator 94, causes the second portion 86 ofthe tab 82 to peel from the backing material and to hang suspended fromthe sheet material 22, as shown in FIG. 13. The backing material nolonger wound about the supply portion 90 is gathered to prevent bindingwith other machine components. For example, another roller may beincluded to receive and wind the backing material.

Turning next to FIGS. 14 to 20, the support tab finisher assembly 52 isshown separate from the frame 40 in FIGS. 14-18. After application ofthe first support tab 82 via the support tab applicator assembly 50, thesheet material 22 is advanced via the advancing assembly 70 such thatpartially applied support tab 82 is located adjacent the support tabfinisher assembly 52. The support tab finisher assembly 52 is coupled tothe table 44 and engages both of the first and second sides of the sheetmaterial 22 along its longitudinal lengths to apply a second portion 86of support tabs thereto.

It should be noted that where the support tabs 82 are applied equallyspaced apart at distances equal to the table spacing between the supporttab applicator assembly 50 and the support tab finisher assembly 52, theshifting of the sheet material 22 may align a second support tabapplication location of the sheet material 22 with the support tabapplicator assembly 50. On the other hand, where the support tabs 82 areapplied at unequal spacing, or at spacing different from the spacing ofthe automated assemblies, the controller 72 may be configured to firstmove the sheet material 22 for alignment of a partially applied tab 82with the tab finisher assembly 52, and then to align the sheet material22 again with the tab applicator assembly 50.

Once a partially applied support tab 82 is aligned with the finisherassembly 52, the finisher assembly 52 is activated to fold the secondportion 86 of the tab 82 under the sheet material 22 and to apply thesecond portion 86 to the second side (bottom side) of the sheet material22. The finisher assembly 52 includes a press plate 100 to stabilize thesheet material, an underside support portion 102 to stabilize the sheetmaterial, a fold block 104 to pre-fold the second portion 86 of thesupport tab 82, a push rod 105 to disengage the underside supportportion 102 from the sheet material 22, and a fold roller 106 to finishapplying the second portion 86 to the second, underside of the sheetmaterial 22.

As the sheet material 22 lies atop the table 44 during its modification,the table 44 includes a support tab gap portion 110 (FIGS. 2, 5 and 6)disposed on each table edge 112 (FIGS. 1, 2, 5 and 6) for enablingapplication of the support tabs 82 to the second side of the sheetmaterial. The support tab gap portion 110 extends through the table 44,allowing for engagement of the second portions 86 of the support tabs 82with the second side of the sheet material to enable the portions of thesupport tabs 82 to be applied to oppositely disposed areas of the sheetmaterial 22. The support tab gap portion 110 also enables engagement ofthe underside support portion 102 with the press plate 100 and with thesheet material 22, to be discussed below.

The machine 20 includes a dual actuator assembly to move the fold block104/press plate 100 and push rod 105/fold roller 106 in succession. Thedual actuators may be any suitable actuators, such as linear actuators,or alternatively may be moved via biasing members, such as springs. Inother embodiments additional actuators may be included.

As shown in FIG. 19, a first actuator of the dual actuator assemblymoves the fold block 104 to engage the second portion 86 of the supporttab 82 suspended from the partially modified sheet material. The firstactuator also moves the press plate 100 towards the table 44.

More particularly, the press plate 100 extends toward the table 44, thesupport portion 102, and the sheet material 22, to tightly engage thesheet material 22 between the press plate 100 and the table 44/supportportion 102. The press plate 100 may be moved by any suitable actuator.The sheet material 22 is engaged in this manner to provide stability ofthe sheet material 22 and to provide a solid backing material, forapplication of the second portion 86 to the second side of the sheetmaterial 22.

Both the underside support portion 102 and the press plate 100 arepositioned to engage a portion of the sheet material 22 overlaying thegap portion 110, to enable engagement of the sheet material 22 withoutinterference by the table 44. This arrangement provides for a moreuniform application of the support tabs 82 to the sheet material 22.

The underside support portion 102 is biased, such as via springs, to aposition adjacent the underside of the table 44. The support portion 102provides further stability to the portion of the sheet material 22 wherethe support tabs 82 are applied. The underside support portion 102 maybe coupled to the table 44 and may extend from under the table 44. Thusthe support portion 102 may not be attached to a main body of thesupport tab finisher assembly 52.

The support portion 102 is configured to be moved away from its positionadjacent the underside of the table 44 to allow the second portion 86 toengage the second side of the sheet material 22 and to allow the foldroller 106 to engage the second portion 86. The support portion 102includes an angled portion 107 at one end, which has a contact surface108 set at an acute angle relative to a central longitudinal axis of thepush rod 105. The support portion 102 is pivotably secured at an endopposite the angled portion 107.

As shown, the fold block 104 moves in conjunction with the press plate100 to pre-fold the second portion 86 of the support tab 82, though thefold block 104 and the press plate 100 may be moved separately in otherembodiments. The illustrated fold block 104 moves in a downwarddirection and includes an inclined surface 120 for moving the secondportion 86 out of planar alignment with at least one of the sheetmaterial and the first portion 84, thus bending the flexible transitionportion 88.

Thus, as depicted in FIG. 19, the fold block 104 pushes the secondportion 86 of the support tab 82 into a nonplanar position relative tothe first portion 84. The inclined surface 120 may be at an anglerelative to a sheet plane of the sheet material 22. The angle may bebetween 30 and 90 degrees, preferably between 45 and 60 degrees, andmore preferably at 60 degrees.

As shown in FIGS. 19 and 20, a second actuator of the dual actuatorassembly moves the fold roller 106 to engage the second portion 86 inthe nonplanar position, and the push rod 105 moves the support portion102 causing it to be spaced form the second portion 86. As the secondactuator advances the fold roller 106 (a) first towards the secondportion 86 that is displaced by the fold block 104 and (b) secondtowards the sheet material 22, the push rod 105 engages the retractablesupport portion 102 to move it out of engagement with a portion of thesecond side of the sheet material 22 to which the second portion 86 isto be attached.

As the push rod 105 moves toward the support portion 102, it engages thecontact surface 108 of the angled portion 107. Continued forwardmovement of the rod 105 causes the support portion 102 to be pivotedabout an axis substantially parallel to the table 44. The supportportion 102 is rotated from its default position, disposed substantiallyparallel with the table 44 and adjacent the second portion 86, to asecond position, disposed substantially orthogonal to the defaultposition. In the second position, the support portion 102 is spaced fromtable 44, from the second portion 86, and from the fold roller 106.

The fold roller 106 engages the second portion 86 at substantially thesame time as the rod 105 engages the support portion 102. The foldroller 106 includes a cylindrical roller pivotably coupled to a pivotpin. In other embodiments, the fold roller 106 may be of any othersuitable shape. Alternatively, the fold roller 106 may not pivot and maybe a substantially cylindrical member. The fold roller 106 and the foldblock 104 may be made of any suitable material for moving the supporttabs 82, such as Teflon or other low friction materials.

The fold roller 106 moves the second portion 86 from the nonplanarposition to a position applied to the second side of the sheet material22, where the first portion 84 is arranged substantially parallel to thesecond portion 86, as shown in FIG. 21, showing the sheet material 22with applied support tabs 82 and separate from the machine 20. Theillustrated fold roller 106 is moved in a direction substantiallyparallel to the sheet plane of the sheet material 22 to further bend thetransition portion 88 to fold the second portion 86 under the sheetmaterial 22.

The result of this movement is the final application of the adhesiveside of the second portion 86 to the second side of the sheet material22. Further, as the fold roller 106 and push rod 105 retract, thesupport portion 102 is rotatably returned to its default positionadjacent the underside of the table 44 in preparation for application ofanother second portion 86.

It is noted that in other embodiments, the support portion 102 may beconfigured to slideably retract from the table edge 112 and from thesecond portion 86, such as via contact with the rod 105. Alternatively,the support portion 102 may be configured to rotatably move about anaxis orthogonal to the table 44 and away from the second portion 86.

Referring now to FIGS. 22 to 29, the strengthening film applicatorassembly 60 is shown separate from the remainder of the machine 20, andalso separate from the frame 40. The illustrated strengthening filmapplicator assembly 60 is coupled to the table 44 for applyingstrengthening film to the first (upper) side of the sheet material 22,though in other embodiments, strengthening film may be appliedadditionally or alternatively to the second (bottom) side of the sheetmaterial 22.

After application of the first support tabs 82 by the support tabapplicator assembly 50 and the support tab finisher assembly 52, thesheet material 22 is advanced by the advancing assembly 70 to a locationof subsequent support tab application. Though in other embodiments,application of support tabs 82 may be omitted.

Simultaneously with the advancing, the illustrated machine 20 appliesstrengthening film via the strengthening film applicator assembly 60.The strengthening film is applied over the already applied first set ofsupport tabs 82 and over the sheet material 22, along oppositelongitudinal lengths of the sheet material 22, which are substantiallyparallel with the respective longitudinal edges of the sheet material22. It will be appreciated that the machine 20 may be configured toapply discrete lengths of strengthening film or continuous strengtheningfilm to the sheet material 22.

To apply the strengthening film, the strengthening film applicatorassembly 60 includes a film supply portion 120, a guide portion 122, andan application roller 124. The film supply portion 120 is depicted as asupport arm supporting a roll of film wound about a center core. Theroll is fed through the guide portion 122 to contact the applicationroller 124.

As shown, the guide portion 122 includes a plurality of guide bushings130, such as bearing rollers, for supporting the film between the supplyportion 120 and the application roller 124. The film is guided throughthe guide portion 122 with the adhesive side of the film disposedopposite the guide bushings 130.

After application of the film to the application roller 124, to befurther described, the application roller 124 is moved to engage withthe table 44 and thus with the sheet material 22 via an actuator, whichmay be any suitable actuator. Upon completion of application ofstrengthening film to the sheet material 22, the film is cut, and theprocess is repeated for application to a subsequent sheet material 22.

To cut the film, the film applicator assembly 60 includes a severingmechanism 186 that has a blade 190 carried by a blade carriage 192. Alsoincluded is a blade biasing member 191, such as a leaf spring, forbiasing the strengthening film against other components of the assembly60, to be described further.

To position the film onto the application roller 124 and then furtherposition the film after cutting for another application to the samesheet material 22 or to a different sheet material 22, the filmapplicator assembly 60 includes an entry finger bar 140 and an exitfinger bar 142. Each of the finger bars 140 and 142 are substantiallycylindrical in shape and have extending therefrom one or more engagementbosses 146.

The engagement bosses 146 extend from less than a full circumferentialextent of the finger bars 140 and 142 for engaging the adhesive side ofthe film, while preventing adhesion of the film to the finger bars 140and 142. As depicted, the engagement bosses 146 are made of Teflon orany other suitable material having a low coefficient of friction. Eachfinger bar 140 and 142 includes two oppositely disposed,radially-outwardly extending engagement bosses 146. The engagementbosses 146 extend from an external surface of the finger bars 140 and142. The bosses 146 extend a distance that is preferably less than aradius of the respective finger boss 140 or 142. In other embodiments,the bosses 146 may extend any suitable distance and any suitable numberof bosses 146 may be included.

The entry finger bar 140 and exit finger bar 142 are pivotably coupledto finger supports 150, such as support carriages, which are coupled toa main body 152 of the applicator assembly 60. The carriages 150 arealso translatable in a linear direction, and thus the finger bars 140and 142 may be pivoted about the application roller 124 and also movedtowards and away from the application roller 124. The film applicatorassembly 60 includes suitable actuators for pivoting and linearlytranslating the support carriages 150, and thus for pivoting andlinearly translating the bars 140 and 142, between positions spaced fromthe application roller 124 and positions adjacent the application roller124, and between positions rear (downstream) and forward (upstream) ofthe application roller 124.

Thus as the film moves through the film applicator assembly 60, and overthe finger bars 140 and 142, the bars 140 and 142 pivot and translate toengage and disengage the adhesive surface of the film from permanentlythe bars 140 and 142. As the bars 140 and 142 pivot, the film preferablyengages only surfaces of the engagement bosses 146 and does not contactother external surfaces of the finger bars 140 and 142. In this way, theentry and exit finger bars 140 and 142 act as guides for the film as ittransitions between the guide portion 122 and the application roller124.

During application of the film to the sheet material 22, the entry andexit finger bars 140 and 142 and the severing mechanism 186 are movedseparately from one another via precise timing, which is controlled viaa suitable controller, such as the controller 72. This process maintainscontinuous mechanical control over the film, and ensures that the filmis not free floating, thereby preventing binding of the film applicatorassembly 60 and/or defects in the application of the film to the sheetmaterial 22. Such defects may include wrinkles, bubbles, stretching, orother functional and/or cosmetic defects.

Turning first to FIG. 28a , prior to any application of a film 160 tothe sheet material 22, a length of the film 160 extends from the supplyportion 120. The length of the film 160 extends through the guideportion 122, with an adhesive side facing away from the guide bushings130. A non-adhesive side of the film disposed opposite the adhesive sidefaces and contacts the guide bushings 130. A distal end of the length ofthe film 160 extends through the guide portion 122 and the non-adhesiveside of the distal end engages the blade biasing member 191. In thisposition, the severing mechanism 186 is in an inward position.

At this point, the severing mechanism 186 is caused to move to anoutward position spaced form the inward position. This movement, andpreferably laterally sliding movement, causes the adhesive side of thetape to be pressed against the engagement bosses 146 of the entry fingerbar 140. Thus, the distal end of the film 160 is continuously controlledand is not enabled to float freely without contact by one of thesevering mechanism or the entry finger bar 140.

Turning next to FIG. 28b , the strengthening film assembly is shown froma rear view, with the film 160 applied to the application roller 124. Tomove the film to the application roller 124, a bar actuator moves theentry finger bar 140, which includes at least one of pivoting ortranslating the respective support carriage 150 relative to theapplication roller 124, to ultimately move the entry finger bar 140 tothe rear (downstream) of the application roller 124. Movement of thefinger bar 140 pulls the film through the guide portion 122 from thesupply portion 120. The film maintains contact with the respectiveengagement bosses 146 as the entry finger bar 140 moves. At this point,the entry finger bar 140 is caused to further pivot while theapplication roller 134 is caused to rotate, and thus the film 160 iswrapped about the application roller 124, with the non-adhesive side ofthe film 160 facing the application roller 124.

After the film 160 is rotated about the application roller 124, the exitfinger bar 142 is translated radially inwardly towards the applicationroller 124. The exit finger bar 142 engages the application roller 124and the adhesive side of the film 160 below a position of the entryfinger bar 140.

Turning then to FIG. 28c , the entry finger bar 140 is shown movedforward (upstream) of the application roller 124 from its previousposition rear (downstream) of the application roller 124 (FIG. 28b ).Thus, the entry finger bar 140 is linearly translated radially outwardlyaway from the application roller 124 to release the respectiveengagement bosses 146 from the adhesive side of the film 160. The entryfinger bar 140 is then rotated about the application roller 124 to itsposition shown in FIG. 28c , forward (upstream) of the applicationroller 124.

Now turning to FIG. 28d , after the film 160 is loaded onto theapplication roller 124 and the sheet material 22 is moved into positionvia the advancing assembly 70, the application roller 124 and the exitfinger bar 142 are moved together towards the table 44 and the sheetmaterial 22. The exit finger bar 142 is then caused to move away fromthe adhesive side of the film 160, via at least one of pivoting ortranslating, to disengage the film 160 from the respective engagementbosses 146.

Consequently, the leading edge of the film 160 is caused to fall ontothe sheet material 22 adjacent the leading edge of the sheet material22. As the sheet material 22 is advanced via the advancing assembly 170,the film is applied to the longitudinal edge 32 of the sheet material 22via the application roller 124 and the drive assembly 80, to bedescribed further.

Turning next to FIG. 28e , when the end of the sheet material 22approaches the strengthening film applicator assembly 60, movement ofthe sheet material 22 is stopped via the controller 72. The entry fingerbar 140 is caused to pivot and/or translate to engage the adhesive sideof the film 160 substantially in the initial position where the entryfinger bar 140 first engaged the distal leading end of the film 160(FIG. 28a ).

Next, the severing mechanism 186 is moved from the outward position backto the inward position, causing the blade 190 to cut the film 160.During this cutting, the blade 190 is disposed in a blade plane, whichis aligned at a specified angle relative to the sheet material 22. Thespecified angle of the blade plane 194 is at approximately 5-15 degreesabove the horizontal, i.e. at an acute angle of approximately 5-15degrees relative to a sheet plane of the sheet material 22. Morepreferably, the blade plane is at an acute angle of approximately 11degrees relative to the sheet plane.

The sheet material 22 also includes a bisecting plane aligned orthogonalto the sheet plane and bisecting the longitudinal length of the sheetmaterial 22, thus extending between oppositely disposed longitudinaledges 32 of the sheet material 22. A transverse plane is alignedorthogonal to each of the sheet plane and the bisecting plane, andextends parallel to the longitudinal working length 24 of the frame 40.

Accordingly, in the illustrated embodiment, the blade plane liesorthogonal to the transverse plane and also lies at an acute angle ofapproximately 45-80 degrees relative to the bisecting plane. Morepreferably, the blade plane is at an acute angle of approximately 60degrees relative to the bisecting plane.

The blade plane is also aligned at an angle of approximately 60 degreesrelative to a film plane of the film 160 extending between the guidingportion 122 and the application roller 124. This is because the filmplane is disposed substantially parallel to the bisecting plane.

Returning to FIG. 28e , after the cutting of the film 160 by the blade190, the leading edge of the film 160 connected to the film supplyportion 120 is engaged between the blade biasing member 191 and theentry finger bar 140. Thus, the leading edge of the film 160 iscontinuously controlled via the assembly 60. The trailing edge of thefilm 160 that is applied to the sheet material 22 is caused to landadjacent the trailing edge of the sheet material 22.

Finally, the severing mechanism 186 is again moved from the inwardposition to the outward position, again engaging the adhesive side ofthe distal end of the film 160 to the respective engagement bosses 146of the entry finger bar 140, as previously explained with reference toFIG. 28a . At this point, the strengthening film applicator assembly 160is prepared for a subsequent application to a subsequent sheet material22.

Accordingly, upon completion of application of a length of film 160 tothe sheet material 22, the entry finger bar 140 moves in conjunctionwith the severing mechanism 186 to position the film 160 for severing,to ensure a clean cut of the film 160, and to maintain control of thefilm 160. By maintaining control of the film 160, no operatorintervention is needed to again engage a distal free end of the film 160with the application roller 124.

It will be appreciated that in some embodiments, the machine 20 may notinclude the strengthening film applicator assembly 60 and thus nostrengthening film will be applied. In other embodiments, the machine 20may be configured to apply the strengthening film prior to applicationof the support tabs 82 or with support tabs 82 omitted.

Turning now to FIG. 27, an upper portion 170 of the drive assembly 80 isdepicted separate from the remainder of the banner making machine 20. Anupper portion 170 of the drive assembly 80 is coupled to a top side ofthe table 44, such that the sheet material 22 is engaged between theupper portion 170 and the table 44. The upper portion 170 includes twopressure rollers 172, driven by a suitable power source, such as arotary motor 174, and connected by a transition member 176. In otherembodiments, any suitable number, one or more, of pressure rollers 172may be used.

A lower portion 178 (FIG. 6) of the drive assembly 80 is also coupled tothe table 44, though the lower portion 178 is coupled to an underside ofthe table 44. The lower portion 178 may be included or omitted in themachine 20. The illustrated lower portion 178 is similar to the upperportion 170 and also includes two pressure rollers driven by a suitablerotary motor and connected by a transition member. In other embodiments,the lower portion 178 may include any suitable number of pressurerollers and/or the pressure rollers of the lower portion 178 may bedriven via the rotary motor 174 of the upper portion 170.

As shown (see, e.g., FIG. 5), the table 44 may include drive cutouts 182aligned with the pressure rollers 172 of the lower portion 178. In thisway, the lower portion drive rollers 172 may contact the second side ofthe sheet material 22. The lower portion rollers 172 may also bedisposed adjacent the upper portion rollers 172, thus clamping the sheetmaterial 22 between the rollers 172. In this way, the drive assembly 172and pressure rollers 172 may serve a dual function of advancing thesheet material 22 and also of further pressing the strengthening film160 and support tabs 82 against the sheet material 22, such as toprovide a uniform seal to the sheet material 22. Accordingly, the bannerproduct exiting the film applicator assembly 60 of the illustratedmachine 20 includes a film 160 applied over longitudinal edges of thesheet material 22 and also applied over the first portions 84 of thesupport tabs 82 applied to the first side of the sheet material 22, asshown in FIG. 29, showing a partially finished final product separatefrom the machine 20.

Referring next to FIGS. 30 to 35, the hole punch assembly 54 is shownseparate from the remainder of the machine 20, and also separate fromthe frame 40. The illustrated hole punch assembly 54 is coupled to thetable 44 for cutting holes through at least the sheet material 22, andin some embodiments, through one or both of the support tabs 82 and thestrengthening film 160. For example, in the illustrated embodiment, thesupport tabs 82 are die cut with holes pre-existing through the supporttabs 82, while other support tabs 82 may not include pre-existing holes.

After application of the strengthening film 160, the advancing assembly70 may again advance the sheet material 22. Another set of support tabs82 may be applied, while the machine 20 simultaneously continues toapply strengthening film 160, and also while the hole punch assembly 54simultaneously punches, such as cuts, a hole through at least the sheetmaterial 22 at the location of a set of support tabs 82. The controller72 is configured to appropriately track and recognize longitudinallocations of support tab applications along the longitudinal lengths ofthe sheet material 22, thus enabling punching of holes at one of, aselection of, or all of these locations. For example, the controller 72,which is communicatively coupled to each of the automated assemblies,may use encoded data provided from the advancing assembly 70 or from thedrive assembly 80 to track positions of the applied support tabs 82.

The hole punch assembly 54 includes a main body 212 having a punchportion 214, a punch removal portion 216, and a flattening portion 218.The punch portion 214 is coupled to the main body 212 and includes amechanism for cleanly cutting through multiple material types, includingthe sheet material 22, support tabs 82, and/or strengthening film 160.The punch portion 214 is configured to quickly cut through thesemultiple components while also fully removing the material portion thatis cut out.

The illustrated punch portion 214 includes a linear punch driven by alinear actuator, though any other suitable punch, such as a rotarypunch, may be used. While the punch portion 214 is configured to punchcircular holes, any suitable hole shape may be used, though a circleprovides a minimal chance of tear propagation from the hole through theadjacent material.

The punch removal portion 216 is coupled to the underside of the table44 and may be separate from the main body 212. The punch removal portion216 is aligned at a punch gap 220 (FIGS. 5 and 6) extending through thetable 44, and allowing for the punch removal portion 216 to receive atleast partially therein a portion of the punch portion 214 whenactuated. Material removed from one or more of the sheet material 22,support tabs 82, and strengthening film 160 may pass through the punchremoval portion 216 and may be stored in a scrap chamber of the punchremoval portion 216 (not shown) or may instead drop into a scrap binlocated below the punch removal portion 216.

The flattening portion 216 includes a roller 222 coupled to a rolleractuator 224. The roller actuator 224 is actuated to advance the roller222 towards the sheet material 22, where the sheet material 22 movesbetween the roller 222 and the table 44. During advancing and retractingof the punch portion 214 through the materials, edges of the materialsforming the hole may become raised, such as out of the sheet plane ofthe sheet material. Activation of the flattening portion 216 engagesthese edges and flattens them, moving them substantially into the sheetplane, thereby helping to prevent tears and/or wrinkles in the final endproduct. FIG. 35 depicts the final end product separate from the machine20, and showing holes extending through each of the sheet material 22,support tabs 82 and strengthening film 160.

In some embodiments, the hole punch assembly 54 may be configured toapply grommets to the sheet material, where the application of thegrommet causes a hole to be punched through the sheet material. In suchcase, the hole punch assembly 54 may include a supply portion thatstores grommets, and the punch portion 214 may be configured to bothapply a grommet an punch a hole substantially simultaneously.

It is noted that in the described embodiment, the automated assembliesare fixed to the frame 40 and/or the table 44. The sheet material 22 isadvanced to align specific locations of the sheet material 22 with theautomated assemblies. In other embodiments, the automated assemblies maybe movably coupled to the table 44 and/or the frame 40. For example, thetable 44 may be configured to translate one or more of the support tabapplicator assembly 50, the support tab finisher assembly 52, the holepunch assembly 54, and the strengthening film applicator assembly 60.The movement may facilitate alignment of the various automatedassemblies with particular application locations of the sheet material22, such as to enable multiple application steps to take placesimultaneously. For example, where a banner includes varied spacingsbetween successive support tabs 82, one or both of the support tabapplicator assembly 50 and the support tab finisher assembly 52 maytranslate relative to one another and relative to the table 44. Thetranslation may allow alignment of the automated assemblies withapplication locations of the sheet material 22 to enable simultaneousapplications of first portions 84 and second portions 86 of the supporttabs, for example.

In some embodiments, the machine 20 may include a supply portion forstoring sheet material to be modified. The supply portion may includeshelves for storing sheet material of discrete lengths. Alternativelythe supply portion may include a roll mechanism for storing a roll ofsheet material to be fed onto the table 44 for modification. In suchcase, the machine 20 may include a sheet material severing assemblydisposed at the front side 26 or rear side 28 of the frame 40 forseparating discrete lengths of sheet material from the roll. Thesevering assembly may be communicatively connected to the controller 72for determining precise timing of the severing function of the severingassembly.

Turning now to FIG. 36, another exemplary embodiment of a banner makingmachine is schematically depicted at 420. The banner making machine 420is substantially the same as the above-referenced banner making machine20, and consequently the same reference numerals, indexed by 400, areused to denote structures corresponding to similar structures in thebanner making machine 420. In addition, the foregoing description of thebanner making 20 is equally applicable to the banner making machine 420except as noted below. Moreover, aspects of the banner making machines20 and 420 may be substituted for one another or used in conjunctionwith one another where applicable.

The banner making machine 420 includes one or more support tabapplicator assemblies 450, one or more support tab finisher assemblies452, one or more hole punch assemblies 454, and one or morestrengthening film applicator assemblies 460. As shown, the bannermaking machine 420 may include one or more grommet applicator assemblies462 to apply grommets to the sheet material in addition to or as analternative to any of strengthening film and/or support tabs.

A sheet material supply assembly 480 is disposed upstream of the otherassemblies. The supply assembly 480 may include discrete lengths ofsheet material, or alternatively may include a supply of sheet materialthat is not yet cut into discrete lengths. In such case, the sheetmaterial may be supplied on a roll or in one or more fan-folded stacks.The supply assembly 480 may include a table, rack, or roll device forstoring and dispensing the sheet material.

Further, a severing assembly 482 is disposed downstream of the otherassemblies. The severing assembly 482 is configured to separate thesheet material into discrete lengths after application of one or more ofsupport tabs, strengthening film, and/or grommets.

In some embodiments the assemblies of the banner making machine 420 maybe arranged in any suitable order, being upstream and downstream fromone another in any suitable arrangement. In some embodiments, one ormore of the assemblies may be omitted and/or one or more of theassemblies may not be used.

In summary, a machine 20 for applying support members 82 to opposingsides of opposing edges of a sheet material 22 includes a support tabapplicator assembly 50 that applies a first portion 84 of a support tab82 along a longitudinal edge of a first side of the sheet material 22, asupport tab finisher assembly 52 that applies a second portion 86 of thesupport tab 82 disposed opposite the first portion 84 to a second sideof the sheet material 22 disposed opposite the first side, and a holepunch assembly 54 that cuts a hole through at least the sheet material22. The machine 20 also may include a strengthening film applicatorassembly 60 that applies a strengthening film 160 along a longitudinallength of the first side of the sheet material 22 and/or across thesupport tab 82.

Although the invention has been shown and described with respect to acertain embodiment or embodiments, it is obvious that equivalentalterations and modifications will occur to others skilled in the artupon the reading and understanding of this specification and the annexeddrawings. In particular regard to the various functions performed by theabove described elements (components, assemblies, devices, compositions,etc.), the terms (including a reference to a “means”) used to describesuch elements are intended to correspond, unless otherwise indicated, toany element which performs the specified function of the describedelement (i.e., that is functionally equivalent), even though notstructurally equivalent to the disclosed structure which performs thefunction in the herein illustrated exemplary embodiment or embodimentsof the invention. In addition, while a particular feature of theinvention may have been described above with respect to only one or moreof several illustrated embodiments, such feature may be combined withone or more other features of the other embodiments, as may be desiredand advantageous for any given or particular application.

1.-19. (canceled)
 20. A method of applying a support tab to a sheetmaterial, the method comprising the steps of: supporting a longitudinaledge of a longitudinal length of the sheet material along a supporttable; actuating a first actuator to apply a first portion of thesupport tab to a first side of the sheet material along the longitudinallength of the sheet material, the support tab for receiving a suspensionmember; actuating a second actuator to fold a second portion of thesupport tab under the sheet material; moving a press plate to engage thefirst side of the sheet material between the press plate and the supporttable; moving a pressure support to engage the second side of the sheetmaterial such that the full longitudinal length of the sheet material towhich the first actuator applies the first portion of the support tab isclamped between the press plate and the pressure support respectiveapplication of the respective second portion by the second actuator;applying the second portion of the support tab to a second side of thesheet material disposed opposite the first portion of the support tab;and actuating a punch to cut a hole through a portion of the sheetmaterial disposed between the first and second portions of the supporttab, the hole for receiving the suspension member for suspending thesheet material.
 21. The method as set forth in claim 20, furtherincluding the step of applying a strengthening film along the sheetmaterial and across the support tab.
 22. The method as set forth inclaim 21, wherein the applying a strengthening film along the sheetmaterial and across the support tab occurs simultaneously with actuatinga first actuator to apply a first portion of the support tab to thefirst side of the sheet material along the longitudinal length of thesheet material.
 23. The method as set forth in claim 20, wherein theactuating the first actuator to apply a first portion of the support tabto the first side of the sheet material occurs simultaneously at twooppositely disposed longitudinal edges of the sheet material withoppositely disposed support tabs. 24.-25. (canceled)
 26. The method asset forth in claim 20, wherein the applying the second portion of thesupport tab to a second side of the sheet material occurs at a gap at atable edge of the support table.
 27. A method of applying a support tabto a sheet material, the method comprising the steps of: actuating afirst actuator to apply a first portion of the support tab to a firstside of the sheet material along a longitudinal length of the sheetmaterial, the support tab for receiving a suspension member; actuating asecond actuator to fold a second portion of the support tab under thesheet material; engaging an opposite side portion of the second side ofthe sheet material to which the second portion of the support tab is tobe applied with a retractable pressure support; engaging the first sideof the sheet material opposite the opposite side portion of the secondside of the sheet material with a press plate such that the press plateand the retractable pressure support stabilizingly clamp the sheetmaterial and the first portion of the support tab therebetween prior toapplication of the second portion of the support tab; applying thesecond portion of the support tab to a second side of the sheet materialdisposed opposite the first portion of the support tab; retracting theretractable pressure support outwardly from the sheet materialdisengaging it from the sheet material during the application of thesecond portion of the support tab to the opposite side portion to allowfor engagement of the second portion of the support tab with theopposite side portion; and actuating a punch to cut a hole through aportion of the sheet material disposed between the first and secondportions of the support tab, the hole for receiving the suspensionmember for suspending the sheet material.
 28. The method as set forth inclaim 27, further including the step of applying a strengthening filmalong the sheet material and across the support tab.
 29. The method asset forth in claim 28, wherein the applying a strengthening film alongthe sheet material and across the support tab occurs simultaneously withactuating a first actuator to apply the first portion of the support tabto the first side of the sheet material along the longitudinal length ofthe sheet material.
 30. The method as set forth in claim 27, wherein theactuating the first actuator to apply the first portion of the supporttab to the first side of the sheet material occurs simultaneously at twooppositely disposed longitudinal edges of the sheet material withoppositely disposed support tabs.
 31. The method as set forth in claim27, wherein the applying the second portion of the support tab to asecond side of the sheet material occurs at a gap at a table edge of asupport table supporting a longitudinal edge of the longitudinal lengthof the sheet material.